Frustrated by fitness goals for 2017? 7 workout strategies

1 of 7

Meditate to reduce stress

Research shows that those who meditate have less stress, and less stress can lead to weight loss. Plus, "deep, concentrated, intentional breathing exercises can do miracles not only for your body, but for resetting your mind," says Angela Martindale, celebrity nutritionist. "Work-related stress, relationships, health concerns, finances, and daily pressures can wear down our ability to focus, sleep well, eat properly, and be emotionally balanced. You have to create spaces in your day just to breathe so that you can re-direct some of that stress from being destructive into a constructive management tool."

PHOTO: Caleb Roenigk, flickr

2 of 7

Reduce workout time

"The days of 45 minutes to hour-long sessions on a cardio machine are long gone," says Gisela Bouvier, R.D., owner of B Nutrition and Wellness. "To get an effective cardiovascular workout in, do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) instead. It brings your heart rate up then decreases it for a recovery period, so you'll burn calories and fat in a shorter period of time." Translation: You only need 15 to 20 minutes to squeeze in a solid workout, and you may even burn more calories than you would slogging it on the treadmill for an hour thanks to the after-burn effect.

PHOTO: DoD News, flickr

3 of 7

Embrace the cold

When cold weather hits, it's tempting to hit the gym for every workout. But Reggie Chambers, a certified personal trainer at New York Personal Training, says it's best to bust it out in nature as much as you can. "Taking advantage of cold days to workout outside will help you torch more calories since your body has to work harder to keep you warm," he explains. Sure, there are a lot of variables to determine how many calories you'll actually burn (things like your age, sex, and weight all play a role), but doing the same exact workout outside versus inside could net you a better burn.

PHOTO: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office, flickr

4 of 7

Mix up treadmill times

Forget the dreadmill — it's time to finally make treadmill workouts more interesting. Instead of slogging away at the same pace in the same direction, certified personal trainer Reggie Chambers suggests slowing down the speed and doing side lateral skips. "They primarily work the muscles in your butt, hips, and thighs, but they also hit the transverse abdominis — the deepest layer of the abdominal muscles — to add a little spice to your workout," he says. Try the following quickie routine: do side lateral skips for 30 seconds on each side (repeat so you do skips twice per side), sprint for one minute (as fast as you can go), and then rest for one minute; repeat four times.

PHOTO: lookcatalog, flickr

5 of 7

Jump it out

Remember the good ol' school days, when jumping rope was something you actually did for fun, not exercise? It's time to bring that back, says fitness trainer Emily Skye. "Jumping rope is one of the most effective calorie-burning exercises you can do," she explains. "Try doing 1 minute of skipping, then 30 seconds of rest before repeating 10 times." Bonus: It only requires a tiny piece of equipment, you could have your kids do it, too, for some healthy family bonding, and Skye says just 10 minutes of jumping could burn upward of 100 calories.

PHOTO: Courtney Boyd Myers, flickr

6 of 7

Make commercials count

Next time you're binge-watching The Mindy Project on Hulu, make those 30-second commercial breaks count. "See how many burpees you can get done and try to beat it during the next break," says fitness trainer Emily Skye. If you're a beginner, start with modified burpees. To perform: Get into a push-up position, keep your body parallel to the ground with a tight tummy and straight back (no sagging in the middle), then jump your feet in so they land right near your hands. Stand straight up with tight abs and squeezed glutes to finish. To make it harder, perform a push-up before jumping your feet in toward your hand, and add a jump when you stand up.

Research shows that those who meditate have less stress, and less stress can lead to weight loss. Plus, "deep, concentrated, intentional breathing exercises can do miracles not only for your body, but for resetting your mind," says Angela Martindale, celebrity nutritionist. "Work-related stress, relationships, health concerns, finances, and daily pressures can wear down our ability to focus, sleep well, eat properly, and be emotionally balanced. You have to create spaces in your day just to breathe so that you can re-direct some of that stress from being destructive into a constructive management tool."

PHOTO: Caleb Roenigk, flickr

Reduce workout time

"The days of 45 minutes to hour-long sessions on a cardio machine are long gone," says Gisela Bouvier, R.D., owner of B Nutrition and Wellness. "To get an effective cardiovascular workout in, do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) instead. It brings your heart rate up then decreases it for a recovery period, so you'll burn calories and fat in a shorter period of time." Translation: You only need 15 to 20 minutes to squeeze in a solid workout, and you may even burn more calories than you would slogging it on the treadmill for an hour thanks to the after-burn effect.

PHOTO: DoD News, flickr

Embrace the cold

When cold weather hits, it's tempting to hit the gym for every workout. But Reggie Chambers, a certified personal trainer at New York Personal Training, says it's best to bust it out in nature as much as you can. "Taking advantage of cold days to workout outside will help you torch more calories since your body has to work harder to keep you warm," he explains. Sure, there are a lot of variables to determine how many calories you'll actually burn (things like your age, sex, and weight all play a role), but doing the same exact workout outside versus inside could net you a better burn.

PHOTO: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office, flickr

Mix up treadmill times

Forget the dreadmill — it's time to finally make treadmill workouts more interesting. Instead of slogging away at the same pace in the same direction, certified personal trainer Reggie Chambers suggests slowing down the speed and doing side lateral skips. "They primarily work the muscles in your butt, hips, and thighs, but they also hit the transverse abdominis — the deepest layer of the abdominal muscles — to add a little spice to your workout," he says. Try the following quickie routine: do side lateral skips for 30 seconds on each side (repeat so you do skips twice per side), sprint for one minute (as fast as you can go), and then rest for one minute; repeat four times.

PHOTO: lookcatalog, flickr

Jump it out

Remember the good ol' school days, when jumping rope was something you actually did for fun, not exercise? It's time to bring that back, says fitness trainer Emily Skye. "Jumping rope is one of the most effective calorie-burning exercises you can do," she explains. "Try doing 1 minute of skipping, then 30 seconds of rest before repeating 10 times." Bonus: It only requires a tiny piece of equipment, you could have your kids do it, too, for some healthy family bonding, and Skye says just 10 minutes of jumping could burn upward of 100 calories.

PHOTO: Courtney Boyd Myers, flickr

Make commercials count

Next time you're binge-watching The Mindy Project on Hulu, make those 30-second commercial breaks count. "See how many burpees you can get done and try to beat it during the next break," says fitness trainer Emily Skye. If you're a beginner, start with modified burpees. To perform: Get into a push-up position, keep your body parallel to the ground with a tight tummy and straight back (no sagging in the middle), then jump your feet in so they land right near your hands. Stand straight up with tight abs and squeezed glutes to finish. To make it harder, perform a push-up before jumping your feet in toward your hand, and add a jump when you stand up.

Research shows that those who meditate have less stress, and less stress can lead to weight loss. Plus, "deep, concentrated, intentional breathing exercises can do miracles not only for your body, but for resetting your mind," says Angela Martindale, celebrity nutritionist. "Work-related stress, relationships, health concerns, finances, and daily pressures can wear down our ability to focus, sleep well, eat properly, and be emotionally balanced. You have to create spaces in your day just to breathe so that you can re-direct some of that stress from being destructive into a constructive management tool."

PHOTO: Caleb Roenigk, flickr

Reduce workout time

"The days of 45 minutes to hour-long sessions on a cardio machine are long gone," says Gisela Bouvier, R.D., owner of B Nutrition and Wellness. "To get an effective cardiovascular workout in, do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) instead. It brings your heart rate up then decreases it for a recovery period, so you'll burn calories and fat in a shorter period of time." Translation: You only need 15 to 20 minutes to squeeze in a solid workout, and you may even burn more calories than you would slogging it on the treadmill for an hour thanks to the after-burn effect.

PHOTO: DoD News, flickr

Embrace the cold

When cold weather hits, it's tempting to hit the gym for every workout. But Reggie Chambers, a certified personal trainer at New York Personal Training, says it's best to bust it out in nature as much as you can. "Taking advantage of cold days to workout outside will help you torch more calories since your body has to work harder to keep you warm," he explains. Sure, there are a lot of variables to determine how many calories you'll actually burn (things like your age, sex, and weight all play a role), but doing the same exact workout outside versus inside could net you a better burn.

PHOTO: Fort George G. Meade Public Affairs Office, flickr

Mix up treadmill times

Forget the dreadmill — it's time to finally make treadmill workouts more interesting. Instead of slogging away at the same pace in the same direction, certified personal trainer Reggie Chambers suggests slowing down the speed and doing side lateral skips. "They primarily work the muscles in your butt, hips, and thighs, but they also hit the transverse abdominis — the deepest layer of the abdominal muscles — to add a little spice to your workout," he says. Try the following quickie routine: do side lateral skips for 30 seconds on each side (repeat so you do skips twice per side), sprint for one minute (as fast as you can go), and then rest for one minute; repeat four times.

PHOTO: lookcatalog, flickr

Jump it out

Remember the good ol' school days, when jumping rope was something you actually did for fun, not exercise? It's time to bring that back, says fitness trainer Emily Skye. "Jumping rope is one of the most effective calorie-burning exercises you can do," she explains. "Try doing 1 minute of skipping, then 30 seconds of rest before repeating 10 times." Bonus: It only requires a tiny piece of equipment, you could have your kids do it, too, for some healthy family bonding, and Skye says just 10 minutes of jumping could burn upward of 100 calories.

PHOTO: Courtney Boyd Myers, flickr

Make commercials count

Next time you're binge-watching The Mindy Project on Hulu, make those 30-second commercial breaks count. "See how many burpees you can get done and try to beat it during the next break," says fitness trainer Emily Skye. If you're a beginner, start with modified burpees. To perform: Get into a push-up position, keep your body parallel to the ground with a tight tummy and straight back (no sagging in the middle), then jump your feet in so they land right near your hands. Stand straight up with tight abs and squeezed glutes to finish. To make it harder, perform a push-up before jumping your feet in toward your hand, and add a jump when you stand up.

Health goals for the new year don’t need to be stressful: Most people end New Year’s resolutions within the first month, according to survey data from statisticbrain.com. Whether you have kept or broken yours or didn't even make any, here are strategies to move forward this year with fitness.